Micheal Ward On What Helped Him Unlock His Awards Buzzy Performance In ‘Empire Of Light’

Micheal Ward’s performance in writer-director Sam Mendes’ latest opus, Empire of Light, is one of the year’s best. When you bear in mind that the drama’s ensemble cast includes Olivia Colman, Colin Firth, and Toby Jones, to be singled out for exemplary work in that company is no mean feat.

Set in and around a cinema in an English coastal town in the very early 80s, the love letter to cinema tackles issues such as racism and mental health. It also highlights the power of human connection during dark times.

Ward plays Stephen, a young man who befriends a movie theater co-worker, Colman’s Hilary, a vulnerable middle-aged woman struggling with a string of issues while yearning for warmth and companionship.

I caught up with Ward to explore how the actor connected with the material, the acclaim and recognition for his work, and to discuss his deserved and rapid rise.

Simon Thompson: You are back in LA at the end of what has been an incredible journey for you with this film.

Micheal Ward: It has been an insane year. I’m still soaking it all up, and there is still so much to do to get through it. It’s my third time in LA, and I enjoy coming to America, but being here for good reasons is always more memorable. Empire of Light is a special film.

Thompson: The work you have been doing in the last three years alone has been incredible. Some people here might see you as an overnight success, but you have been putting the work in. Lovers Rock as part of the Small Axe anthology, The Old Guard, now you’ve got Empire of Light. Have you had time to stop and register the trajectory and the attention?

Ward: The way I see it is that because it has just been happening, I’ve just felt so lucky to get an opportunity to work with all these people. I feel blessed and fortunate to be able even to work anyway, to do this thing I really enjoy, and people are getting to see it. Working with the best people like Sam Mendes, Olivia Colman, DP Roger Deakins, and everyone else involved with the film is extraordinary because you get to learn so much. Because I haven’t trained as an actor, I’m constantly trying to be a sponge and soak up as much knowledge and experience as possible to make me a better actor and person.

Thompson: What were those relationships like on set? Obviously, you know, the work of Olivia, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Sam Mendes, and Roger Deakins, but, as you say, you’re coming in and feel like you’re still learning. Here you get to learn from fundamentally the cream of British talent. How did you approach that, and what questions did you want to ask?

Ward: As you say, they’ve been doing it for much longer than me, so it is understanding how I get to do this for longer. How do I get to have the choice to do this for as long as possible? You could be an actor doing loads of different jobs, but I want to work with the most amazing directors and work on the stories for me like the ones I’ve done so far. They are fun, I enjoy them, and they are things I would see even if I was not in them. Those are the things that are important to me, so it’s about understanding how to do that. Everyone I worked with on Empire of Light offered this wisdom about storytelling that resonates with me. When I read the script, it resonated with me, but I needed to figure out why that was. The more I started talking about a character and understanding what this story was trying to do and say, the more I realized why it worked for me. I’m just super excited about exploring that with people.

Thompson: What were those reasons? I grew up in the UK in the 80s. I remember many things going on in this film, such as social and cultural aspects, including the rise of the National Front at the time. Not being around at that time yourself, what of that era connected with you?

Ward: There were many things, but for me, it was about this character, Stephen, who exudes love. You watch him, and you never want to hurt him; you want to uplift him, and you want him to succeed. I think it’s rare that you get to see a young black character like this on screen anyway, especially with what I’ve done before outside of Lovers Rock. They are often demonized instead of people understanding their slice of life. Stephen leans in more when everyone else runs away when it comes to things like figuring out more about Hilary’s mental health. It’s a special characteristic, and we don’t get to see this often. The period resonated with me, and I started to appreciate the 80s a lot in terms of the music, the films, the culture, and the vibe of it all. The aesthetic was so different, but it has shaped much of what’s happening now.

Thompson: How much of that did you already have from your own life experience, and how much was Sam giving you a laundry list of research regarding beats and vibes to hit?

Ward: When it came to the music, I had been introduced to some similar stuff for Lovers Rock, and one of the first things I did was a film about Trojan Records. When it came to the films of the time, not so much, to be honest with you. I was someone who boycotted old movies because the texture of the film is a bit fuzzy and stuff like that. It just feels old. I never even used to watch black-and-white movies, but I decided to lean into it a bit more in this process because Stephen definitely would. Before I knew it I was watching stuff like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire, even though they had nothing to do with Empire of Light. I never watched them, but they were so important in cinematic history that it was essential to see these actors and stories and understand the love of cinema that is a big part of this. Many films were mentioned or featured throughout the screenplay, sometimes just when changing the marquee outside. I watched Raging Bull because of this movie. There was often no reference to it verbally, but it was in the script as one of the titles that were going to be on in the cinema. I thought that that was amazing. When it came to music, Sam gave everyone a playlist of what their character could potentially listen to. I used that, as well as the music throughout the screenplay and music that I liked, that I think Stephen would like too. That wasn’t just 80s stuff. There’s a song that I listen to called Riptide; it’s a modern track, but it gives me a certain vibe, and Stephen would have liked it.

Thompson: When Sam directs, how much does he tell you what to do and how much is Sam led by how you understand Stephen?

Ward: We’d done a lot of rehearsals, so it got to the point where you would know the character. Sam wouldn’t necessarily tell you what you want to do, but you would come in with your ideas, you’d rehearse, and he would help you navigate to a place where it is right for the story. It wasn’t even about being comfortable; for me, it was more to push myself as an artist but still make it make sense within the context of the screenplay. That allowed me to do anything because I knew I could trust them to bring me back in terms of the stuff that I like to root myself in, which is authenticity. He really cares, so that was exciting.

Thompson: I was impressed by the authenticity and the degree of detail that went into the detail. The foyer wasn’t actually in a movie theater; it was specially constructed in a space nearby.

Ward: It was a few buildings down from where the old cinema used to be, which is Dreamland in Margate. It was insane because when you were on the set, you literally felt like you were there. When you would look up, the light would be coming through, but it was obviously stage lighting. When you would walk outside, it’d be this massive grey tent, and you’re thinking, ‘Wow! How has this happened?’ Roger Deakins worked very closely with Mark Tildesley, the production designer, regarding the lighting and its design. It was really incredible.

Thompson: You have been mentioned in conversations for Best Actor nominations this year. Many of the people you have worked with on this have been through that. Have any of them given you advice about this bizarre awards season bubble?

Ward: To be honest with you, I still don’t really understand what’s going on. I just want people to watch this film and be able to see my performance in that. I haven’t really focused on the stuff you’re talking about. They haven’t given me any advice apart from not focusing on it. They’ve said that if it happens, it happens, but to use this time to allow people to see what great work we’ve done is important to me anyway.

Thompson: We talked about our connection with the material coming from the UK, and it is a very British film. For those not aware of this cultural period and some of the touchstones, how can people outside of the UK connect with it?

Ward: I feel like mental health is a way in, and some other themes are universal. Racism is another one, and cinema is another one. There are so many things that they can connect with. The voice may be different, and the aesthetic is, but people here have experienced many of the same things as people in the UK. Those are the things that will allow them to relate to the story. As I said, it’s a slice of life that they don’t really get to see in terms of the 80s UK and stuff, but it is fascinating.

Empire of Light is in theaters now.